I run, and I'm [usually] happy. Pretty simple, right?

Friday Favorites

It’s been a while since I did Friday Favorites, so let’s resurrect that, huh? Here are some of the things (both running and non-running-related) that I’m loving right now:

1. My new Brooks Transcend 2’s

If you’ve seen/read any of my posts in the last year and a half, you can probably tell that I love my Brooks Transcends. I was hooked early on with the 1’s when they were first released in February of 2014, and after a brief fling with Asics’ Gel Nimbus (very nice for sure, but not my fave), the love affair continued into this year with the release of the 2’s.

A month or so ago, I posted a pic of my favorite neon pink kicks on Instagram for Brooks’ #thankyourunning campaign, and they loved it so much that they used it on their own site, which then led to last week’s IG Takeover. To thank me for everything, the team at Brooks sent me some gear and a new pair of Transcend 2’s last week – so freaking awesome! While I initially thought the color scheme wasn’t very snazzy (I am more partial to loud obnoxious colors), I’ve found that the unique silver/pink/blue ombre actually matches everything in my running wardrobe. And after a handful of shorter runs and a few bike rides in them, I’m still as obsessed as ever and can’t wait to wear them across the finish of my first triathlon next weekend!

2. Chris Pratt

I’m gonna keep it real here: this guy kind of snuck up on me. Like, I knew he existed, but he just didn’t do anything for me. I’d seen him in a few things like Parks & Rec and Guardians of the Galaxy and thought, “Meh.” But about 45 minutes into Jurassic World, it hit me like a wave: Holy crap, I really like Chris Pratt. I don’t really have much else to offer in the way of explanation, just that it was a sneak attack mini crush. Which is kind of fun!

3. Miss Coco Peru

Specifically, this video.

I discovered this little slice of fabulous last winter when I was going through a rough patch, and her humor pulled me out of a pretty dark place. Since then I’ve devoured each video she puts out, and find myself channeling her when I get distressed (“This disturbs me” is one of her go-to’s, and it just sums up everything in life sometimes). This video was my first introduction to Coco, and I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

4. Swimming

Last night the schedule said I was supposed to swim 400m, but I went ahead and pulled out 1000m!! I had no idea I could go for that long. Yes, I stopped after every 100m or so to catch my breath, but it was a solid 35 minutes of powerful laps, and I was practically glowing by the end.

I found myself truly enjoying every lap, pushing to go faster, tweaking my form, focusing on different things with each lap to improve my stroke… it was great! I mean it can’t replace the high I get from running, but considering I detested and avoided all forms of physical activity for basically the first 20 years of my life, who knew I would really enjoy another sport in addition to running?

That’s about it for me, what are YOU loving lately? Share in the comments!

I remember the first time I did 500m!(Because it want that long ago) and it was awesome!!! The longest I’ve done is 800 but I mostly stopped because I felt like… I should, right? Since I’m doing a half next and swimming helps my leg problems from becoming problematic, I’m also going to try to swim a mile alongside the half.

Hot damn! That’s a good goal – I felt the same way about my 1000m! And I agree: the swimming (and biking for that matter) all help take the pressure off my poor busted knees , it’s just a bonus that it improves my running. I’m definitely keeping them both in the rotation no matter what!